This is Gcina Malindi,SC, one of the trialists in a UDF treason trial of the 1980s, now a leading advocate. the words are that of Greg Nicolson summarising
‘Advocate Gcina Malindi represented the respondents and decided not to respond to the real issues. Instead, in a sleepy speech, he argued the technicalities of urgency. He said the traders had ample time to launch a court action since the effects of Clean Sweep were being felt in October. They were simply trying to waste the court’s time, he argued, and even asked the traders to pay the municipality’s legal costs, a request Judge Monamo responded to by saying the traders have no money. “If the older people can do something wrong then the younger people will follow because they learn from that,” the judge advised.
Malindi said that the traders are out of work is nothing new in South Africa. “There can never be an appropriate time to act,” he counselled. If it’s not at Christmas time, it will be when children are starting school.’
Raymond Suttner 